Petrol mafia
burns senior official to
death

MUMBAI — In a shocking incident, the additional district collector of Malegaon in Nashik district, was burnt to death by members of an oil adulteration mafia, on Tuesday afternoon.

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by

Nithin Belle

Published: Thu 27 Jan 2011, 12:30 AM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 9:42 PM

Yashwant Sonawane, the district official, was driving along the Manmad-Panewadi road, about 200 km north-east of here, when he came across some suspicious activity. According to police sources, Sonawane — who did not have security cover — got off his car to investigate, and found members of the mafia siphoning off petrol.

The miscreants attacked him, poured kerosene and set him afire, before escaping. Sonawane’s burnt corpse lay on the road for a while, before the police were alerted. Top police officers here directed the inspector-general of Nashik division and other senior officials to rush to Malegaon. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan also ordered an inquiry.

Chhagan Bhujbal, the public works department, who is from Nashik, said one of the criminals has been arrested.

Aleem Faizee, who runs Ummid.com, a leading Malegaon-based portal, told Khaleej Times from the site of the crime, that Sonawane was a senior officer and also known to be honest and eager to lend his hand for the development of the poor and oppressed. “In fact, on Monday night I had spoken to him, as he had attended a meeting in Mumbai, called by the state’s minority department, about the setting up of a campus of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Malegaon,” said Faizee. Sonawane had submitted the land proposal to the state government about the AMU centre in the city.

Most state-owned oil refineries have their depots on the Manmad-Panewadi road, about 10 km from Manmad. A powerful mafia has been active in the area, pilfering petrol, diesel and kerosene and selling adulterated stuff. While petrol has been decontrolled in India, leading to a huge escalation in price at retail outlets, diesel and kerosene continue to be subsidised. Consequently, there is a thriving adulteration racket across the country as criminals adulterate petrol, mixing diesel and kerosene and selling it at a lower price. According to government sources here, Sonawane had in the past initiated action against the criminals.

nithin@khaleejtimes.com

Nithin Belle

Published: Thu 27 Jan 2011, 12:30 AM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 9:42 PM

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